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http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/05/stick-and-rudder-oh-yeah-star-citizen-is-a-game-im-following/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/05/stick-and-rudder-oh-yeah-star-citizen-is-a-game-im-following/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I actually said the title of this piece out loud the other day. I was compelled to do so primarily because of a certain sandpark's launch as well as the fact that it's been dominating my game time for a solid month now.

And yeah, I left off the Stick and Rudder part when I said the title out loud because "Stick and Rudder: Oh yeah Star Citizen is a game I'm following!" would've sounded even stranger than "Oh yeah, Star Citizen is a game I'm following!"

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumfeaturedhypepatienceroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspacesimstar-citizenstick-and-rudderSun, 05 Oct 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20969421http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/07/stick-and-rudder-even-more-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen-void/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/07/stick-and-rudder-even-more-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen-void/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/07/stick-and-rudder-even-more-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen-void/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I was hoping to use this week's column to talk in glowing terms about Star Citizen's newly released racing mechanics. The only problem with that plan is that Arena Commander 0.9 hasn't launched just yet, purportedly on account of a few pesky bugs that Cloud Imperium is still in the process of squashing.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumdecayfeaturedfireflygamemasteringgmis-star-citizen-the-best-parts-of-star-wars-and-star-trekitem-decayroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-channeling-trek-star-warsstar-citizen-gamemasterstar-citizen-gamescomstar-citizen-gmstar-citizen-item-decaystar-trekstar-warsstick-and-rudderSun, 24 Aug 2014 14:00:00 -0400319|20948402http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/10/stick-and-rudder-should-you-be-scared-off-by-star-citizens-com/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/10/stick-and-rudder-should-you-be-scared-off-by-star-citizens-com/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/10/stick-and-rudder-should-you-be-scared-off-by-star-citizens-com/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Massively's Justin Olivetti and I were talking MMO communities recently. Star Citizen came up, and my esteemed colleague mentioned that the constant hubbub surrounding the crowdsourced space sim sandbox has made him a bit wary of getting invested in the title for the time being.

From the inside looking out, I can see how the game's community sometimes seems like a roiling mass of internet rage and entitlement, but I think it's worth mentioning that -- like the game itself -- it's also what you make of it.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcome-at-me-manzescommunityfeaturedgankgankboxinternet-spaceshipsroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipshould-you-be-put-off-by-star-citizens-communityshould-you-be-scared-of-star-citizens-communityspacespace-simspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-communitystick-and-ruddertrollingtrollswing-commander-3Sun, 10 Aug 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20941433http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/29/stick-and-rudder-how-complex-is-too-complex-for-star-citizen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/29/stick-and-rudder-how-complex-is-too-complex-for-star-citizen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/29/stick-and-rudder-how-complex-is-too-complex-for-star-citizen/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I've taken a little while to let Chris Roberts' recent flight model manifesto marinate. In that time, my opinion has run the gamut from "funk yeah, simulation!" to "hmm, I hope I'm able to enjoy this title" and back again.

I waffled because as much as I'm salivating over Star Citizen and everything it represents, it's still one game out of dozens that I'm following. And as much as I'd like to, I can't realistically devote all of my free time to a single title!

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casualchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescomplexitycrowdfundingdifficultyengineersfeaturedfunfun-vs-realismgame-vs-simhardcoreinternet-spaceshipskickstartermoddingmodspilot-vs-engineerrealismrealism-vs-funroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipship-modssimsim-vs-gamespacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstick-and-ruddertheorycraftertheorycraftingtime-to-killttkSun, 29 Jun 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20914159http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/space-bugs-delay-star-citizen-dogfighting-module/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/space-bugs-delay-star-citizen-dogfighting-module/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/30/space-bugs-delay-star-citizen-dogfighting-module/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
A series of bugs grounded this week's scheduled launch of Arena Commander, the space-based dogfighting module for Star Citizen. Project creator Chris Roberts revealed the delay in a blog post on the game's website, saying "it would be foolish to release an unstable build, even if pre-alpha for the sake of meeting an internal deadline."

"I know that's not the news you wanted to hear tonight. No-one would like to see the community get their hands on Arena Commander more than I would," he added.

Roberts praised Star Citizen's crowdfunding model as part of the reason a delay was possible, citing quality as a main directive rather than a publisher's milestone calendar. "A publisher would make us ship tomorrow regardless of the current build quality," Roberts wrote. "But as you are all focused on quality rather than a financial return for shareholders we are able to take a few more days to deliver something that is stable."

Since its crowdfunding campaign began in October 2012, Star Citizen has amassed over $44 million from Kickstarter and from the game's own website.
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Cloud Imperium (May 29), Cloud Imperium (May 28)
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Cloud-ImperiumCloud-Imperium-Gamesdelaypcroberts-space-industriesRSIstar-citizenFri, 30 May 2014 07:00:00 -040011|20900932http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/04/stick-and-rudder-how-star-citizen-is-turning-the-game-industry/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/04/stick-and-rudder-how-star-citizen-is-turning-the-game-industry/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/04/stick-and-rudder-how-star-citizen-is-turning-the-game-industry/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
When this column began, the first thing I talked about was Star Citizen's then-unique development model and how important it was both for fans and the game industry as a whole.

Over a year later, the jury's still out on whether or not Cloud Imperium's opus will bring balance to the Force and give starving hardcores a home of their own. It's already safe to say that Star Citizen has turned the industry on its ear, though.

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business-modelsccpccp-gameschris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingeveeve-onlineeve-valkyrieexploitationfeaturedfounders-packsh1z1how-star-citizen-is-turning-the-game-industry-on-its-earinternet-spaceshipsjohn-smedleykickstartermonetizationoculus-riftopen-pvppost-apocpost-apocalypsepre-orderpvpriftroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipsoesony-online-entertainmentspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimspreadsheets-onlinestar-citizenstar-citizen-influencestar-citizen-influencing-game-industrystick-and-ruddervalkyrievirtual-realityvrzombiesSun, 04 May 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20878727http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/20/stick-and-rudder-on-crowdfunding-entitlement-and-dev-abuse/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/20/stick-and-rudder-on-crowdfunding-entitlement-and-dev-abuse/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/20/stick-and-rudder-on-crowdfunding-entitlement-and-dev-abuse/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
The DFM PAX reveal came and went, and it was exactly what I expected: full of bugs befitting an alpha state and still absolutely stunning in terms of its potential.

And that's all that really needs to be said about that, at least until we get our hands on it in the comfort of our own homes! I'm more interested in riffing off some of the trollish behavior from the pre-PAX backer-only gala. If you watched the full presentation, you probably know what I'm talking about. If you didn't, well, it was basically drunks being drunk, but it leads into something I've wanted to talk about for a while, which is mass appeal, niches, and the gaming industry viewed through the prism of Star Citizen.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdev-abuseentitlementfeaturedinternet-spaceshipsjennifer-heplerkickstarterroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstick-and-rudderSun, 20 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20868640http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/23/stick-and-rudder-five-more-space-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/23/stick-and-rudder-five-more-space-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/23/stick-and-rudder-five-more-space-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
A few months back I put together a list of my favorite space sims in an effort to pass the time remaining until Star Citizen's release.

Well, that release is still a ways off, even though we are scheduled to get our grubby little space mitts on the dogfighting module next month. I'm in the mood to pew pew right now, though, and if you are too, here are a few more classic games to help fill the void.

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6dofchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdescentdescent-2elitefeaturedfrontieri-warindependence-warinternet-spaceshipskickstarterroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspace-sims-to-fill-the-star-citizen-voidspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstarlancerstick-and-ruddertachyontachyon-the-fringeSun, 23 Mar 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20851377http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/09/stick-and-rudder-getting-perspective-on-star-citizens-developm/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/09/stick-and-rudder-getting-perspective-on-star-citizens-developm/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/09/stick-and-rudder-getting-perspective-on-star-citizens-developm/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I recently spent a week enjoying the hell out of Elite: Dangerous. CCP'sValkyrie project -- a virtual reality EVE Online riff powered by Oculus -- is apparently far enough along to merit public demos and a slow-burning hype train. And Star Citizen? Well, I can still solo around in my hangar, fitting ship guns and firing them at cardboard targets.

I bring all this up not to pile on Cloud Imperium. On the contrary, I'm OK with SC's development pace, and if you're on the world side of the world-vs.-game debate, you should be OK with it too.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdfmdogfighting-moduleelite-vs.-star-citizenfeaturedhangar-moduleinternet-spaceshipskickstarteroculus-riftperspectiveriftroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-vs.-elitestick-and-ruddervirtual-worldworld-versus-gameworld-vs.-gameSun, 09 Mar 2014 18:00:00 -0400319|20840972http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/23/stick-and-rudder-star-citizens-backlash-effect/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/23/stick-and-rudder-star-citizens-backlash-effect/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/23/stick-and-rudder-star-citizens-backlash-effect/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Can someone help me understand the Star Citizen backlash effect? I mean, seriously. If Chris Roberts and his Cloud Imperium developers announced that the game's next stretch goal was a cure for cancer, the first comment on the resulting news article would be some variation on "bullsh#@!"

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armchairarmchair-developerarmchair-devsarmchair-game-designchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingfeature-creepfeaturedinternet-spaceshipskickstarterrantroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-rantstfustick-and-rudderSun, 23 Feb 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|20832794http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/09/stick-and-rudder-ok-so-star-citizen-might-be-a-pvp-game/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/09/stick-and-rudder-ok-so-star-citizen-might-be-a-pvp-game/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/09/stick-and-rudder-ok-so-star-citizen-might-be-a-pvp-game/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
A few weeks ago I outlined why I think Star Citizen is more a PvE title than a PvP title. I'm sure most of you disagreed, so this week I'd like to examine the other side of the debate.

Sorta.

See, I still think SC is mostly for PvE types, given Chris Roberts' design sensibilities, but I also went back and studied the Roberts PvP quote highlighted in the previous piece as well as the full wall o' text that surrounded it. Roberts, according to that interview, believes that SC will be both a PvE and a PvP game. Fair enough. We often hear devs speaking grandly in the pre-alpha stages of a project and swearing up and down that it's going to make everyone happy.

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carebearcarebearismchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdoing-it-wrongfeaturedinternet-spaceshipskickstarterpvppvp-rantrantroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-pvestar-citizen-pvpstick-and-rudderSun, 09 Feb 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|20824725http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/26/stick-and-rudder-its-a-massively-star-citizen-guild/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/26/stick-and-rudder-its-a-massively-star-citizen-guild/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/26/stick-and-rudder-its-a-massively-star-citizen-guild/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I love me some guild management tools, which is strange since I don't manage guilds all that often. It's a bit of work, see, as one look through the titles and topics in our Guild Counsel category will make clear.

At any rate, I can't stop playing around with Star Citizen's recently launched Organization stuff.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcommunityfeaturedguildguild-managementguild-toolsguildsmassively-overpoweredmasssively-star-citizen-guildorganizationsroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-guildsstar-citizen-organizationsstar-citizen-orgsstick-and-rudderstick-and-rudder-guidesturbulentSun, 26 Jan 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|20811996http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/12/stick-and-rudder-five-reasons-star-citizen-isnt-a-dedicated-pv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/12/stick-and-rudder-five-reasons-star-citizen-isnt-a-dedicated-pv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/01/12/stick-and-rudder-five-reasons-star-citizen-isnt-a-dedicated-pv/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Is it just me, or does a new PvP-vs.-PvE fight break out on the Star Citizen forums every five minutes? In fairness to everyone involved, the jousting we've seen over the past few months is pretty typical of every early adopter MMO community. There's plenty of preening, pseudo-intellectualism, and outright trolling on both sides of the aisle as two player groups make their preferences known early and often in a blatant attempt at influencing game developers to develop something more to their liking.

With Star Citizen, though, and with the all-PvP-all-the-time crowd in particular, I'm constantly left wondering whether these people have bothered to research the game they're backing.

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carebearcarebear-star-citizenchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundinge-peenfeaturedffa-pvpgame-designgame-mechanicsinstancinginternet-spaceshipskickstartermeaningful-pvpopen-pvppvepvp-sandboxpvp-sliderroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsandbox-pvpsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-carebearstar-citizen-isnt-a-pvp-gamestar-citizen-pvestar-citizen-pvpstar-citizen-pvp-sliderstick-and-rudderSun, 12 Jan 2014 14:00:00 -0500319|20800684http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/29/stick-and-rudder-2013s-essential-star-citizen-stories/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/29/stick-and-rudder-2013s-essential-star-citizen-stories/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/29/stick-and-rudder-2013s-essential-star-citizen-stories/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
What say we recap 2013 from a Star Citizen-focused perspective? It was a huge year for Cloud Imperium's space sim sandbox, and no, I'm not just talking about the ever-increasing crowdfund windfall.

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2013-year-in-reviewarmchair-devsaurorachris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingessential-star-citizenessential-star-citizen-storiesfeature-creepfeature-creep-policefeaturedignoratiinternet-spaceshipskickstarterorigin-300roberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-2013star-citizen-essentialsstar-citizen-recapstar-citizen-videostick-and-ruddertop-star-citizen-storiesvideoSun, 29 Dec 2013 14:00:00 -0500319|20792524http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/15/stick-and-rudder-star-citizen-and-the-phantom-menace/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/15/stick-and-rudder-star-citizen-and-the-phantom-menace/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/12/15/stick-and-rudder-star-citizen-and-the-phantom-menace/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
It's May 1999 and nearing midnight. My best friend and I are standing in a swollen, sweat-soaked line of humanity that snakes through a movie theater lobby, out into the overstuffed parking lot, and around back of the palatial building.

Imperial stormtroopers mill through the crowd. Kids armed with plastic lightsabers duel their friends, their parents, and armies of imaginary opponents. Nerds share pizza deliveries with strangers, and the whole enterprise is steeped in an air of electric expectation more akin to a championship football game than an evening at the cinema.

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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingcurb-your-enthusiasmcurb-your-expectationsexpectationsfeaturedhypeinternet-spaceshipskickstarterroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-expectationsstar-citizen-hypestick-and-ruddertemper-your-expectationsSun, 15 Dec 2013 14:00:00 -0500319|20774793http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/28/stick-and-rudder-the-best-bits-of-star-citizens-thanksgiving-l/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/28/stick-and-rudder-the-best-bits-of-star-citizens-thanksgiving-l/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/28/stick-and-rudder-the-best-bits-of-star-citizens-thanksgiving-l/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsCloud Imperium hosted another lengthy Star Citizen livestream this week, and if you missed it, well, so did nearly everyone else who has a nine-to-five job. This particular shindig was some 20 hours shorter than the last one, but there were nonetheless plenty of interesting details to digest.

If you want a blow-by-blow summary -- and you don't share my aversion to Reddit -- here you go. If you want my personal highlights, click past the cut.

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brandon-evanschris-robertscloud-imperiumdave-haddockEric-Petersonfeaturedjohn-likensroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsandi-gardenersci-fishipspacespace-simspacesimstar-citizenstar-citizen-livestreamstar-citizen-livestream-recapstick-and-rudderzane-bienThu, 28 Nov 2013 12:00:00 -0500319|20776737http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/25/not-so-massively-star-citizens-mining-ship-d3s-cow-level-an/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/25/not-so-massively-star-citizens-mining-ship-d3s-cow-level-an/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/25/not-so-massively-star-citizens-mining-ship-d3s-cow-level-an/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
With the monumental funding push from its anniversary sale, Star Citizen broke three million-dollar barriers this week and unveiled its plans for several new ships. Players will get a new luxury yacht, a salvaging vessel, and a much-requested mining ship. Elite: Dangerous announced that its alpha test will begin very soon and will initially focus on the flight control portion of the game before opening up to become a full-scale PvP battleground.

League of Legends released its major pre-season update ahead of competitive season four, making huge changes to support classes, wards, and more. Heroes of Newerth confirmed that it will be running its usual $30,000 US tournament at DreamHack next week, and developers released a spotlight video on new hero Klanx.

Diablo III's Reaper of Souls beta will officially launch by the end of the year, but many streamers are already in the beta thanks to Blizzard's Family and Friends beta scheme. One streamer got the surprise of his life when he stumbled into what appeared to be a new cow level, but we aren't sure whether it's the real deal. Path of Exile saw record turnout for its first Descent Champions events this weekend. And Firefall's latest development update blog entry confirmed that the game will be getting an episodic storyline.

Cloud Imperium Games's crowdfunding campaign for Star Citizen continues to barrel along and doesn't seem intent on stopping yet, as creator Chris Roberts has announced that the campaign has officially reached the milestone of 30 million US dollars.

A new milestone means new rewards. Along with the announcement, Roberts included a gallery of concept art for the Gladiator ship "created to show how the rear-facing turret can be changed with different upgrades." In addition, Roberts revealed that players voted for a salvage ship in the $32 million "ship role" poll. As a result, the post unveils the first details of the Aegis Surveyor ship. Described as "an industrial-quality salvage ship," the Aegis Surveyor is perfect for retrieving the remains of some poor chump's wrecked ride. Lastly, Roberts reminds players that they can vote for the role $33 million stretch goal ship (right below the post, to boot), so to have your say, head over to the game's official site.

Star Citizen -- Letter from the Chairman: $30 Million
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30-millionaegisaegis-surveyorchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingcrowdfunding-milestoneinternet-spaceshipskickstartermilestoneroberts-space-industriesrsisalvagesandboxsci-fispaceshipstar-citizenstretch-goalstretch-goalssurveyorMon, 25 Nov 2013 18:00:00 -0500319|20776000http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/17/stick-and-rudder-how-to-be-an-informed-star-citizen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/17/stick-and-rudder-how-to-be-an-informed-star-citizen/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/17/stick-and-rudder-how-to-be-an-informed-star-citizen/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Massively's podcast fielded a listener question about Star Citizen and various other Kickstarters a couple weeks back, and while I answered it on our weekly show, I'd like to expand on it in more detail here. Call it a public service for people who are mildly interested in Cloud Imperium's space sim but not interested enough to scarf up the considerable amount of news flowing out of the studio these days.

The question, in a nutshell, was how can a 30-person dev team make a triple-A title. There was more to it, including the usual concerns about crowdfunding, trust, and bits about investing vs. donating, but the dev team portion is the portion that I want to highlight.

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42Behaviour-Interactivechris-oliviachris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingcryengine-3crytekerin-robertsfeaturedhow-to-be-an-informed-star-citizenignoranceinformedinformed-opinioninternet-spaceshipsjason-spanglerkickstartermassive-blackprivateerrob-irvingroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimsquadron-42star-citizenstarlancerstick-and-ruddertalking-out-of-your-assturbulentuninformeduninformed-opinionSun, 17 Nov 2013 14:00:00 -0500319|20760551http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/12/star-citizen-breaks-27-million/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/12/star-citizen-breaks-27-million/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/12/star-citizen-breaks-27-million/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsStar Citizen, the crowdfunded space sim helmed by Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, continues to demonstrate its incredible ability to generate enormous sums of money. Roberts today announced that Star Citizen has officially passed the $27 million mark, an amount that makes it possible for Cloud Imperium to add new ships and technology based on the Banu race of tradesmen.

Roberts also announced the next stretch goal; at $29 million, Cloud Imperium will add more resources to the single player campaign such as an epic opening battle and more animations.

Letter from the Chairman: $27 Million
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chris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundinginternet-spaceshipskickstarterpublisher-freepublishersroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fispaceshipstar-citizenwing-commanderTue, 12 Nov 2013 15:00:00 -0500319|20766755http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/03/stick-and-rudder-what-if-star-citizen-fails/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/03/stick-and-rudder-what-if-star-citizen-fails/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/11/03/stick-and-rudder-what-if-star-citizen-fails/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
As Star Citizen's crowdfunding totals spiral ever higher, so too do the cries of the naysayers, negative nancies, and the ne'er-do-wells who seemingly exist to rain on the space sim sandbox's parade.

Some of this hand-wringing is probably justified since with each new stretch goal, fan expectations for SC increase exponentially. Regardless, what the game has already accomplished is worth celebrating, and two of the most common reasons I've seen cited for remaining skeptical simply don't make sense.

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50-percent-of-the-human-race-is-middlemenchris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingexpectationsfeaturedhypeinternet-spaceshipskickstartermiddlemanmiddlemenpublisher-freepublishersroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstick-and-rudderSun, 03 Nov 2013 14:00:00 -0500319|20754939http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/20/stick-and-rudder-ten-space-sims-to-fill-your-star-citizen-void/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/20/stick-and-rudder-ten-space-sims-to-fill-your-star-citizen-void/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/20/stick-and-rudder-ten-space-sims-to-fill-your-star-citizen-void/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
This week I'd like to throw around a few ideas for enjoying yourself in Star Citizen's absence. Yeah, there's the hangar module, and it's pretty spectacular for what it is. But after dorking around in cockpits and doing a few I'll-be-in-my-bunk Jayne Cobb impersonations as I wedge my avatar into my Aurora's sleeping compartment, I ache to spool up those engines and go somewhere.

Fortunately there are a ton of worthy space sims that we can use to while away the next couple of years. Or the next couple of months, because dogfighting alpha!

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10-best-space-sims10-space-simsbdssebest-damn-space-sim-everbest-damn-space-sims-everbest-space-simschris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdarkstar-oneevochronevochron-mercenaryfeaturedfreelancerfreespaceinternet-spaceshipskickstarterprivateerroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishawn-bowershipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstar-wraithstick-and-rudderstrike-suit-zerosundogsundog-frozen-legacyvideowaiting-for-star-citizenwhat-to-play-while-waiting-for-star-citizenwing-commanderxx-beyond-the-frontierx-wingSun, 20 Oct 2013 14:00:00 -0400319|20746167http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/15/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-feature-creep/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/15/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-feature-creep/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/15/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-feature-creep/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I'm going to address the allegations of "feature creep" in Star Citizen this week before misperceptions get further out of hand. If you haven't been following the sci-fi space sandbox in recent weeks, note that Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium unveiled the title's $20 million stretch goal several days ago. Said goal is FPS combat on select lawless planets, but to hear some armchair developers tell it, Roberts is jumping the shark and gunning for PlanetSide 2 instead of simply adding some instanced bells and whistles onto what's affectionately known as the best damn space sim ever (BDSSE).

If you're a Star Citizen backer or enthusiast, you already know everything I'm about to type. If you're casually lurking on the periphery of the game's fandom, though, join me after the cut for the most complete SC crash course that 1,700 words can buy.

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armchair-developerarmchair-devschris-robertscloud-imperiumcloud-imperium-gamescrowdfundingdefinition-of-mmodesignfeature-bloatfeature-creepfeaturedinternet-spaceshipskickstarterpolishpolish-vs-feature-richpolishedroberts-space-industriesrsisandboxsci-fishipspacespace-simspaceshipspacesimstar-citizenstick-and-rudderSun, 15 Sep 2013 14:00:00 -0400319|20716078http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/08/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-cash-shop/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/08/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-cash-shop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/09/08/stick-and-rudder-on-star-citizens-cash-shop/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Remember last time when I said that Cloud Imperium's decision to release a playable pre-alpha Star Citizen module was a risky move?

Forget that.

I mean, it still kinda was, but this particular story had a happy ending. Star Citizen's first public-facing in-game deliverable has been live for over a week now, and for all intents and purposes it was a smashing success.